Here's a rather scary story. While detractors of my article on goat meat as a more sustainable source of animal protein may not believe it, I am a deep believer in the need to reform our farming systems and to avoid unnecessary cruelty and abuse of farm animals. From hidden webcams in factory farm chicken cages to shocking photos of some organic egg farms, undercover photography and video by activists play a crucial role in helping us all—vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike—understand what conditions are really like on the farms that produce our food. But now a new bill in Minnesota is seeking to label any such recordings as "eco-terrorism".

Following on the footsteps of a Florida politician who wants to outlaw photographing farms, and an Iowa bill that threatens 10 years in jail for exposing animal cruelty, Minnesota seems to be the next to move against rogue photographers.